(a) All communications between a representative of the program described in subdivision (c) of Section 444.20 and a subscriber or enrollee, or agent of the subscriber or enrollee, or any other recipient of health care services or any individual assisting the recipient of health care services, seeking assistance regarding a grievance or complaint, if reasonably related to the requirements of the representative's responsibilities for the program, and made in good faith, shall be privileged subject to Division 8 (commencing with Section 900) of the Evidence Code. The subscriber, enrollee, or other recipient of health care services shall be the holder of the privilege and may refuse to disclose, and may prevent others from disclosing, a communication described in this subdivision. Any communication described in this subdivision shall be a privileged communication, which shall serve as a defense to any civil action in libel or slander against any of the persons described in this subdivision.
(b) All records and files of a program described in subdivision (c) of Section 444.20 relating to any complaint or request for assistance regarding a subscriber or enrollee, or any other recipient of health care services, and their identity, shall remain confidential, and shall not be subject to discovery, unless disclosure is authorized by the subscriber or enrollee, or any other recipient of health care services, or his or her legal representative. No disclosures shall be made outside of the program without the consent of the subscriber or enrollee, or any other recipient of health care services, that is the subject of the record or file, unless disclosure is made without disclosing the identity of that individual.
(c) Any representative of the program described in subdivision (c) of Section 444.20 shall be exempt from being required to testify in court as to any communications described in subdivision (a) except as the court may deem necessary to fulfill the purposes of the program.
(d) Nothing in this section shall affect the right of a person or entity to discover if the communication was not made in good faith pursuant to an in camera inspection of the communication by a court.